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| David Kopay |
Cyd counts a total of 25 for the year to date, and notes for the month of January alone, the following:
- Steve Buckley, Boston Herald sports reporter
- Johnny Weir, Olympic figure skater
- Travon Free, former Long Beach State men’s basketball player (bisexual)
- Akil Patterson, greco-roman wrestler
- Brad Usselman, Washington high school runner
- Robert Scott, high school soccer player
- Ben Newcomer, high school soccer player
In his piece, Ross quotes Cyd: "My prediction for 2015 is, we will look back at 2011 as the year gay equality in sports made its seismic shift. While we might not have our Jackie Robinson, 2011 will be our 1947", in his in-depth look at the situation, including kudos to straight allies like hockey's Burke family and Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor.
These are great observations, but we wanted to add our own: the idea of a phenomenon "snowballing" is that it starts small and slow, and gradually picks up more and more speed, and grows bigger and bigger, faster and faster. Anything that snowballs starts somewhere. The sports figures that have come out so far this year will make it easier for even more athletes, officials, administrators, journalists and others in the world of sports to live their lives openly as gay men and women. And it was those who came out in 2010 who made it easier for this year's crop. And the ones that came out before them, and before them.
Our goal and our hope is that it shouldn't require courage to come out: it should be perfectly natural, perfectly safe. Those coming out now are brave. And those who came out before were even braver. So let's celebrate the growing number of out sports figures, but not forget, and not forget to thank, those that came before them.Thanks to Tom Waddell, to Dave Kopay, to Billie Jean King, and all those who followed!
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